I'd rather be having a quiet drink... and can be followed on Twitter @alcothusiast; and friended on Untappd (handle: "neilcake" - all welcome).

Saturday, 4 January 2014

Spirits of the Year... 2013

No, I don’t believe
in doing an annual review post or anything like that. If you want to know what
happened in the year, look back over the blog. Nor do I think I try enough of
everything to be able to make sweeping generalisations about such and such being the year’s best
single malt or whatever. I would though, just very quickly, like to pay tribute
to what I’m going to call my Spirits of
the Year. Without getting too formal or anything, these are bottles that I
enjoyed massively over the course of
2013. There’s only three, and you’ll notice that there isn’t a single malt
amongst them. Single malt is probably what I drink most of, but the reason
there isn’t one here – despite some excellent drams this year – is that nothing
came out of nowhere and surprised me. Yep, Ardbeg 10 is great, yes, I
definitely enjoyed the Caol Ila Distiller’s Edition and the Glenfarclas 10… but
I kind of expected all that. So just put that aside and let's pay tribute to
the unexpected… in no particular
order, other than that in which I thought of it.

Vodka: Stolichnaya 100 Proof

You know that I love
Stolichnaya, right? Course you do. I’ve been singing the praises of the 40% ABV
red variety for years now, so it is undeniably to the blue variety’s credit
that it absolutely rocked my world when I finally got around to buying a
bottle. You’ll be able to read more about it in the coming weeks, but let’s
just say for now that it is all the red variety is and more – with an extra 10%
of ABV thrown on top. Awesome.

lended Scotch: Jim McEwan’s Symphony No 1

You might remember
this from my Distilgrimage adventure.
This one makes the cut because it was an absolute bargain (£13) and whether you factor in the price or not, it was a
delight; the first time I’ve enjoyed a blend so fully – though not the last
in2013 (shout outs but no awards, to Ballantine’s Finest and White Horse).

Grappa: Mille Lune

Another spirit that
delighted and amazed in equal measure, and that you will be able to read about
in more detail in the coming weeks. Despite trying it at the vineyard prior to
purchase, it still surprised me on
opening at home. Clean and beautifully balanced, this rocketed right to the top
of my grappa league table.

So, here’s looking
forward to another fun year of fine spirits and heavy drinking. I’ve already
got some single malts, blends, and Canadian whiskies to open, and have just
broken the seal on another grappa… Then there’s plans for trips to Florida, as
well as to various countries within the EU that should yield some interesting
purchases.

All of the above
were so good that for me, they represent the best that their spirit genre has
to offer so let’s hope 2014 brings some examples that challenge their supremacy.
I don’t know what the year will bring yet, but you can be sure I’ll be telling
you all about it. See you soon for the first proper post of the year and, in
the meantime, you can tell me about your favourite spirits of 2013 in the
comments.

Definitions

What happens when you zone out after having had a cheeky lunchtime pint.

Alcothusiast:

Not an alcoholic, someone who appreciates booze.

Anxiety, The:

The uneasy feeling that accompanies any noteworthy hangover.

Booze Buffet Mentality:

The propensity people have to go nuts whenever there's a free bar.

Booze Porn:Photos of alcohol.

Bread Chest:Not booze related, but this term describes the indigestion you get from eating too many bread products too quickly. Just putting it out there...

Crawler's Block:The inability to decide where to go next during a pub crawl - often resulting in crawl stagnation and someone saying, "shall we just have another one here?"

Crawl Stagnation:The result of failing to plan a pub crawl sufficiently - lack of a route, theme or over-familiarity with nearby pubs can all be contributing factors.

Excess Induced Alcohol Aversion:An intolerance for a drink caused (usually) by one occasion of overindulgence.

The Family:My whisky collection.

MOMA:

Moment of Maximum Appreciation. Every bottle has one. It's the time you drink it where you enjoy it most.

Old Man Pub:Traditional British pub, renowned for being quiet, cosy and frequented by old men. Much favoured by people who like a nice chat while they drink.Psychological Drinks Cabinet:Collective term relating to the kinds of alcoholic drinks a person has need for.Road Beers:

Cans of beer that you take with you when you go out, to consume on the way.

The 3 Types of Rum:White, gold and dark. Together they form the base of many a great cocktail.

About Me

Neil Cake is interested in all types of booze, but is by no means an authority or expert. Most of the time he's just trying to be funny, but he is learning, and enjoys sharing his adventures and what he learns on the Drink it How You Like it blog.
Thengyuverrymuuuuuch.